Wang Guilan’s enthusiasm left Qiao Yu a bit overwhelmed. She simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. I definitely won’t hold back when the time comes.”
After chatting for a few more moments, Qiao Yu found an excuse to step outside.
Seeing her emerge so quickly, Gu Shaoyuan asked in a low voice, “Didn’t find anything you liked?”
Qiao Yu replied, “Mm, I already have plenty of clothes. I’ll buy more another time.”
Gu Shaoyuan nodded. As a young lady from Shanghai, she was accustomed to the finest clothing and accessories, so it was only natural that the clothes available on the island didn’t appeal to her.
When he had time later, he would take her to the city to shop.
Suddenly, Qiao Yu remembered something. “Oh, right. Just now inside, I met Deputy Regiment Commander Li’s wife, Wang Guilan. She said her husband is very close to you.”
“Yes, we’ve been through life and death together. We’re practically like brothers.”
Gu Shaoyuan helped Qiao Yu into the jeep. “I’ll introduce you to him another day.”
Back at the Gu household.
Gu Jianhua and Gu’s mother, Zhang Xiulian, watched as Yang Zhongcheng carried in so many new household items, their faces filled with confusion.
“Xiao Yang, what’s all this?”
Yang Zhongcheng grinned. “These are things needed for Regimental Commander Gu and his wife’s new home. Regimental Commander Gu said to leave them here for now and move them over later.”
Gu Jianhua and Zhang Xiulian exchanged glances. A new home?
Gu Jianhua laughed heartily. “Well, well, the boy’s making something of himself! He must have applied for family housing when he submitted his marriage report.”
Their thinking wasn’t so rigid as to insist that the younger generation live with them. Having their own little home was perfectly fine.
Upon hearing the news, Liu Cuicui emerged from the kitchen, her face filled with disbelief.
“What? Shao Yuan is moving out?”
She had only spoken to Gu Shaoyuan a couple of times that morning. Was Qiao Yu really throwing a tantrum and making him move out over that?
“Aunt Gu, Qiao Yu is a young lady from Shanghai. She definitely doesn’t know how to take care of others. How can you let them live on their own?”
Zhang Xiulian replied, “Why not? Shaoyuan can take care of himself.”
Liu Cuicui: “…”
Although they lived under the same roof, Gu Shaoyuan rose early and returned late, sometimes even eating directly at the canteen. At most, she saw him once or twice a day.
Once Gu Shaoyuan married, Liu Cuicui would have to move out of the family compound with Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu.
As an unmarried young woman, she was too reserved to visit him at the family housing every day.
…
Gu Shaoyuan had other duties to attend to. After dropping Qiao Yu off at the door, he drove away with Yang Zhongcheng.
Carrying her bag inside, Qiao Yu was met with Liu Cuicui’s face, which was darker than charcoal.
Liu Cuicui’s complexion was already dark, but combined with her resentment, Qiao Yu thought she resembled a wrathful deity.
Who had upset her this time?
Gu’s mother, Zhang Xiulian, smiled and pulled Qiao Yu over. “Xiao Yu, I heard you and Shaoyuan went shopping for things today. If you’re short on money, just come to me.”
Gu Ling, who had been listening nearby, chimed in sarcastically, “Mom, she’s a young lady from a wealthy family. How could she possibly be short on money?”
Her brother’s marriage report had already been submitted, shattering her dream of Liu Cuicui becoming her sister-in-law.
Zhang Xiulian shot her a glare. How could this girl speak to her future sister-in-law like that?
Qiao Yu didn’t mind. She was going to live her life with Gu Shaoyuan, not with Gu Ling. Her words couldn’t hurt her.
Because she really did have money.
“Aunt, you don’t need to worry about money. I’ll go rest in my room now.”
Zhang Xiulian quickly called out to her, “Xiao Yu, you must not have eaten yet, right? I used your flour to make hand-pulled noodles! They’re really fragrant, give them a try.”
Hand-pulled noodles? Qiao Yu immediately became interested.
Mother Gu’s cooking skills were quite good; the noodles she made were chewy and smooth, though the seasoning was a bit bland.
Qiao Yu liked spicy food. If only she had some chili sauce right now, she could add it to the noodles.
“Auntie, I’m done eating. Please take your time.”
Mother Gu responded with an “Ai,” then turned to look at Gu Ling, who was eating happily. “Look at Xiao Yu, so polite.”
A young lady from Shanghai was indeed different; her every gesture reflected good upbringing.
Gu Ling pouted. What use was politeness? It couldn’t be eaten. She still disliked Qiao Yu.
In her heart, she had long regarded Liu Cuicui as her sister-in-law.
“Cuicui, can you ask my brother to withdraw the marriage application? I’ve always thought of you as my sister-in-law.”
Liu Cuicui was already anxious about Gu Shaoyuan and Qiao Yu moving out. Hearing Gu Ling’s words, her face flushed.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Qiao Yu is your sister-in-law now.”
“I don’t like her as my sister-in-law. She just relies on her looks and treats my brother like a spinning top! Cuicui, you need to step up your game!”
Gu Ling’s words inexplicably gave Liu Cuicui confidence.
She was Gu Shaoyuan’s childhood sweetheart. In the past, the neighbors used to joke about how well-matched they were. If her father hadn’t passed away early, they might already be married.
Living under someone else’s roof, Liu Cuicui always felt uneasy, as if trapped in a transparent box, cautious in her words and actions.
But she had no means to move out on her own.
Liu Cuicui still fantasized about marrying Gu Shaoyuan. That way, she could stay with the Gu family for life and enjoy a comfortable life by his side.
Recalling the tragic experiences of her past life, she had already made up her mind.
…
Qiao Yu returned to her room, locked the door, and then slipped into the Spatial Dimension.
Seeing the seeds she had planted that morning in the field already beginning to sprout, she couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
The growth rate was indeed fast.
Qiao Yu pressed the one-click watering button, sprinkling water while chanting, “Grow quickly, so I’ll have endless vegetables to eat.”
The water poured into the field was likely from the Spirit Spring. Qiao Yu could visibly see the plants grow a little more.
The Spirit Spring was truly a wonderful thing.
Qiao Yu thought to herself that when the procurement team went out to buy supplies in a few days, she would go along.
She would buy some piglets, lambs, and calves at the market to raise in the Spatial Dimension.
She had already divided the farm area. Since she had more vegetables than she could eat, she could use the leftovers to feed the animals.
The house in the Spatial Dimension was the one she had worked hard to save up for in her original world. Everything inside remained unchanged.
Qiao Yu went to the study and opened her translation materials.
After glancing at them for a moment, she closed the book.
Now, she had more money than she could spend in several lifetimes. When people have money, who still wants to work?
She had gone abroad for her Ph.D. and returned to work as a French translator. In this era, such a job was nearly impossible to find.
Qiao Yu suddenly thought of Gu Shaoyuan. The book described him very briefly, only mentioning that he often led teams stationed on islands.
After Qiao Xiang refused to marry him, there was little mention of Gu Shaoyuan in the plot.
Qiao Yu couldn’t help but criticize: Qiao Xiang had terrible taste. Instead of choosing a handsome, well-built military officer, she insisted on getting involved with that pretty boy Zhang Yu.
But upon careful recollection, she remembered that later on, Gu Shaoyuan was seriously injured during a mission.
The Gu family wanted to seek help from the Qiao family, but Qiao Zhenhua had already fled to Hong Kong with his wife and daughter.
It was uncertain whether the severely injured Gu Shaoyuan would survive later on.
Qiao Yu glanced at the flowing Spirit Spring outside. With the Spirit Spring in her possession, she feared no one getting injured!
“Better take a bath first.”
Casually tossing the documents back onto the table, Qiao Yu headed to the bathroom for a wash.
Just after finishing her bath, she heard a loud commotion coming from outside the Spatial Dimension.